Starrett 98-12 Replacement Vial?

[Travis3c]

Has anyone ever took on the job on replacing the glass vial. Must be the temperature change here in the high desert. I just opened my pelican case to find one of my 12s with a broken glass and leaking.

I really would just like to replace the whole tube if I can.

 

[PoolTable911]

Has anyone ever took on the job on replacing the glass vial. Must be the temperature change here in the high desert. I just opened my pelican case to find one of my 12s with a broken glass and leaking.

I really would just like to replace the whole tube if I can.

Replacing the whole tube assembly is the way to go. Do not get talked into trying to replace the vial. That in my opinion is a nightmare. Call if you have any questions.

 

[ROB.M]

Post

Has anyone ever took on the job on replacing the glass vial. Must be the temperature change here in the high desert. I just opened my pelican case to find one of my 12s with a broken glass and leaking.

I really would just like to replace the whole tube if I can.

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The new tube assembly is around $100.00 I'll replace the glass vial for around $75.00 and most of that price is labor...
Pat is right, they can be a pain to replace.... But once you do a few of them they get easier as they go. I've replaced three vials of my personal levels and very glad I did them myself, if I was as busy as pat and had his big money I would of probably just purchased a tube&plug assembly for the hundo or sent the level to Starrett for recalibration of a new vial.


Rob.M

 

[ROB.M]

Post

Has anyone ever took on the job on replacing the glass vial. Must be the temperature change here in the high desert. I just opened my pelican case to find one of my 12s with a broken glass and leaking.

I really would just like to replace the whole tube if I can.

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Which way did you end up going for the new vial?
Perhaps you'd want something custom under the glass...? A basic solid bright color looks great under there to.
Kinda tricky but it can be done.

But again; Starrett has #1 customer service but don't do silly custom vials backgrounds....

Rob.M

 

[PoolTable911]

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Which way did you end up going for the new vial?
Perhaps you'd want something custom under the glass...? A basic solid bright color looks great under there to.
Kinda tricky but it can be done.

But again; Starrett has #1 customer service but don't do silly custom vials backgrounds....

Rob.M

I'll be sending my tubes to you Rob...I am too busy and I have to burn some money...lol Seriously, I am sending my next broken vial out to you. $75.00 is a good deal.

 

[ROB.M]

Post

Sounds good pat, as long as the price of the vials don't follow the price of simonis cloth the price should stick, it does take a little more time and tools to get the bubble and the background in alignment so the price might incline by a few dollars if I get a large request for replacements in the future.
when I first searched high and low for people who replaced the glass vials I could not believe the high prices I was quoted... the machinist guys I found online that had replaced thier own vials declined my request and the instructions I found online and from Starrett leave out the alingment and critical details for disassembly and reassembly of all the tube components.
that's when I sent out on a quest to learn how it's done and after a bit of research and got in contact with Mike Yamamoto and hit the jackpot of info I was longing for....:I think the pool gods sent him: If I had his fixture and tooling I could repair/replace the vials a bit easyer. It's no simple task but I think I enjoy it.

Rob.M

 

[Travis3c]

I am going to try to find a complete tube. It looks like someone changed the glass out before on mine. It has a bunch of tool marks where someone chipped out the glass previously. I think that is what caused it. This is 1 of 6 so I am not in to big of rush to fix it. I will be looking on Ebay for one or might just call up Starrett and get a new one.

 

[PUTT4DACA$$H]

Send back to starrett

I have bought a couple 98s with broken vials, and have broken one myself on a 98-18 and have always just send them back to Starrett. They recalibrate the vial and can retune OR flatten the base if needed.

My 98-18 came back pristine. I thought it was money well spent for a tool that is heavily used but rarely serviced.

All that being said , I now carry a spare tube assembly with the vial already installed for an emergency.

Good Luck,
Gordon
425-275-8255

PS on the other hand sending it Rob with custom graphics is pretty sweet!!!!! No problem telling which levels are yours!!!

 

[ROB.M]

Post

I have bought a couple 98s with broken vials, and have broken one myself on a 98-18 and have always just send them back to Starrett. They recalibrate the vial and can retune OR flatten the base if needed.

My 98-18 came back pristine. I thought it was money well spent for a tool that is heavily used but rarely serviced.

All that being said , I now carry a spare tube assembly with the vial already installed for an emergency.

Good Luck,
Gordon
425-275-8255

PS on the other hand sending it Rob with custom graphics is pretty sweet!!!!! No problem telling which levels are yours!!!

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The printed paper is from pages of starrett catalogs,brochures,bills and I've only found a few prints that fit in the kitchen well, I guess it dont matter the exact size but I wanted it to look right for what I was after, when the bubble is in the kitchen the letters fit inside the bubble.... And that is what I was after.
I've replaced the 98-6,8 and 12 vials so its not one print fits all..


Rob.M

 

[Travis3c]

I want a custom background with the words. " Right Here Idiot" where the level mark is. HA HA.

 

[ROB.M]

Post

I have bought a couple 98s with broken vials, and have broken one myself on a 98-18 and have always just send them back to Starrett. They recalibrate the vial and can retune OR flatten the base if needed.

My 98-18 came back pristine. I thought it was money well spent for a tool that is heavily used but rarely serviced.

All that being said , I now carry a spare tube assembly with the vial already installed for an emergency.

Good Luck,
Gordon
425-275-8255

PS on the other hand sending it Rob with custom graphics is pretty sweet!!!!! No problem telling which levels are yours!!!

I want a custom background with the words. " Right Here Idiot" where the level mark is. HA HA.

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Whatever you desire,not sure how well the letters/words would will fit in the bubble when centered... The glass vial is not 100% clear, the glass has a light fog appearance to it but still looks good with most print in my opinion. I was considering putting Brunswick or diamond logo in the background...the paper and or graphics has almost endless possibilities.

Rob.M

 

[Travis3c]

Replaced the vial and good as new. Hardest part of the whole job was removing the ends and cleaning it. Good thing I am into guns. An old gun cleaning kit worked great.

 

[ROB.M]

Post

Sounds good, getting the ears and inner tube vial opening aligned so it all sits flush and aligned can be tricky.
I would share the pics that mike Yamamoto sent me years ago to help tackle the vial replacement; but the pics are stamped/marked confidenal and I don't want to upset him in any way, his fixture is the nuts'
He's passed way so I can't ask him but I do feel the legend lives on. I want to think he would approve of me sharing his work but I'm not going to chance it.

Rob.M

 

[JC]

Has anyone ever took on the job on replacing the glass vial. Must be the temperature change here in the high desert. I just opened my pelican case to find one of my 12s with a broken glass and leaking.

I really would just like to replace the whole tube if I can.

I bought a lot of 3 brand new levels with empty vials on E bay and had no trouble replacing the glass. I drilled out the old plaster of paris by hand by putting an appropriate sharp bit in my vise and turning the cylinder by hand. Once it got to the glass it just crumbled it and the entire interior of the cylinder was quickly clean just turning it by hand on the drill bit. I reset the new cylinders with water putty and put new background paper in and the three of them look and perform as new.

JC

 

[ROB.M]

Post

I bought a lot of 3 brand new levels with empty vials on E bay and had no trouble replacing the glass. I drilled out the old plaster of paris by hand by putting an appropriate sharp bit in my vise and turning the cylinder by hand. Once it got to the glass it just crumbled it and the entire interior of the cylinder was quickly clean just turning it by hand on the drill bit. I reset the new cylinders with water putty and put new background paper in and the three of them look and perform as new.

JC

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Water putty was one of the fillers I was told not to use for optimum precision, water putty is gypsum based which expands and contracts to much with climate change and the vial will need to be calibrated often. Use what the manufacture suggest /plaster Paris/ is what starrett uses at the factory to set the vials.
Hope this help in the future.

Rob.M